St. Louis Park Middle School. International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Candidate School. Special Education Needs Policy

Transcription

1 St. Louis Park Middle School International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Candidate School Special Education Needs Policy Date Drafted: 2013 Date Reviewed: Spring 2014 Date Reviewed: March

2 Table of Contents I. St. Louis Park Middle School Vision Statement II. International Baccalaureate (IB) Mission Statement III. Our Beliefs IV. Practices for Success V. Supports in our Building VI. SITT VII. 504 Plan VIII. Special Education Services IX. Gifted and Talented Programming X. English Language Programming XI. Educational Resources XII. Bibliography 2

3 I. The St. Louis Park Middle School Vision Statement Create a peaceful, caring learning community that promotes intercultural respect! Engage students in rigorous academics, relevant inquiry and meaningful action! Ignite individual growth and lifelong learning! II. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Mission Statement The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. (MYP: From Principles into Practice n.p.) III. Our Beliefs St. Louis Park Middle School (SLPMS) recognizes that no two students are the same. Every student is an individual with unique personal and educational needs. While we encourage all students to embody the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile and strive for academic success, we understand that this may not be a simple task for some students who are simultaneously trying to overcome other obstacles in their lives and/or in the classroom. The purpose of this document is to outline our policy, reflecting best practices, for addressing our students needs in an effort to allow all students access to a holistic and inclusive experience within our IB school. As our students and school continually evolve, so will this document. 3

4 IV. Practices for Success We are committed to finding multiple pathways for all of our students through differentiation in our classrooms. Differentiated instruction is being utilized as part of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) unit planning process. It is not, however, limited to strictly accommodations or modifications. Differentiated teaching uses a variety of instructional strategies to meet the diverse needs of all students. V. Supports in our Building There are additional resources in place at St. Louis Park Middle School to assist students with their achievement: Learning Lab Pull-out English Language services Beginner English Language class Co-teaching Counseling Before and/or after school supports so students don t miss instruction: zero hour, 9th hour, Zeros Aren t Permitted (ZAP) Developmental Designs structures Response to Instruction (RTI) - Multi-Tiered System of Supports for students Tier 1 support block Tier 2 & 3 interventions Acceleration Second Scoop classes for reading and math School Success Coaching Discipline Grid Individualized Education Plans (IEP s) 504 Plans Gifted and Talented programing Academy Professional Learning Community (PLC) to support tier 1 Para-educators 4

5 VI. SITT SITT is an acronym for Sharing Intervention Techniques Together. SITT is an intervention team that is made up of regular education teachers who are looking for interventions to help a specific student succeed in the classroom. A special education staff member sits on the team as well to offer suggestions for interventions. Those interventions that are agreed on by the team, will be in place for six weeks, with a progress check-in after week three. If the interventions are successful, the process is complete. If they are not successful, the student may be referred to the Student Study Team (SST) for a possible special education referral. VII. 504 Plan The Section 504 process is followed to determine qualification under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act. If a student goes through the referral process and qualifies, under Section 504, determining that there is at least one major life activity that is substantially limited by a medical or mental health diagnosis, that student may then have a 504 plan. The 504 plan addresses the major life activity/activities that are substantially impaired by providing accommodations, but not special education services. VIII. Special Education Services Special education due process is followed to determine qualification of special education services. If a student goes through the special education referral process and qualifies under state criteria determining there is a need for special education services, that student will then have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) created and implemented by the team. The IEP is a legal document that outlines a student s educational needs and suggests ways of addressing those needs through adaptations that can include accommodation and modifications to assignments, scaffolding techniques, differentiation of instruction etc. This document is a collaborative effort between the special and general education teachers, the involved paraprofessionals, specialists, any other staff member who work directly with the student, and the student and student s family. Categorical areas for qualification of Special Education (SPED) services under Minnesota State rules/regulations: Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) Emotional/ Behavioral Disorders (EBD) Speech and Language Impairment (SPL) Physical Impairment (PI) 5

6 Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Visually Impaired (VI) Deaf/Blind (DB) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Severely Multiply Impaired (SMI) Other Health Disability (OHD) Developmentally and Cognitively Delayed (DCD) Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) IX. Gifted and Talented Programming The St. Louis Park Gifted and Talented Program nurtures the social, emotional, intellectual, and creative talents of students with exceptional abilities. Gifted education classes in middle school are theme-based, interdisciplinary, foster student self-direction and independence, promote self-understanding, incorporate skills, are relevant to the learner, are student-centered, promote student discovery, value group interaction, are built upon student interest, encourage critical and creative exploration of ideas and promote student self-evaluation. The clustering of gifted and talented students ensures them the opportunity to spend part of their day with intellectual peers. It promotes self-esteem, productivity, creativity, and seeks to help students reach their full potential. Data, including the NWEA Measure of Academic Progress, help to determine which students are in need of gifted and talented services. An experienced teacher in gifted education provides direct service to students in Level III (through Response to Instruction Courses in 6th grade) and Level IV (through weekly small group pull-outs in grades 6-8). The gifted education teacher also provides resources and ideas to classroom teachers to assist in the differentiation of curriculum in the general education classrooms. Gifted education courses are another opportunity for the highly capable students in addition to the advanced language and literature and advanced math classes. X. English Language Programming The primary goal of the English Learners (EL) program is to teach English listening, speaking, reading, writing, and critical thinking skills to non-native speakers of English. The EL beginners class and the co-taught EL content classes are designed to give English learners the opportunity to work toward grade level language and academic proficiency. An EL teacher and paraprofessional, support ELs in the EL beginners 6

7 class, which is a class that supports students who have been in the United States for four years or less. Additional support for ELs is provided in content classes. XI. Educational Resources: IDEA the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: ( The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a United States special education law. The IDEA guides how states, school districts, and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. NCLB No Child Left Behind Act: ( The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, Public Law (PL) , is the latest general education law. It amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and has brought sweeping changes to US educational systems. Minnesota Department of Education: ( Website for Minnesota parents and students regarding all educational needs pertaining to the state. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: ( Section 504 of this Act plays an important role in education, especially for students with disabilities who may not qualify for special education services under IDEA. Americans with Disabilities Act The ADA : ( is the first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities. The ADA protects the civil rights of people with disabilities in all aspects of employment, in accessing public services such as transportation, and guaranteeing access to public accommodations such as restaurants, stores, hotels and other types of buildings to which the public has access. Middle Years Programme: International Baccalaureate ( is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. 7

8 XII. Bibliography Meeting Student Learning Diversity in the Classroom. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate Organization, Print. MYP: From Principles into Practice. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate Organization, Print. Programme Standards and Practices. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate Organization, Print. Second-Language Acquisition and Mother-tongue Development. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Print. What is an IB Education? Cardiff: International Baccalaureate Organization, Print. 8